PIED WAGTAIL. 



Whoso kills a Robin, or a Wren, 

 Never shall prosper, boy or man. 



35 



While in the North of England they say, 



Malisons, malisons, more than ten, 



Who harries the Queen of heaven's Wren. 



There is an albino variety of the Wren in the Hereford 

 Museum. 



[Family — Motacillid^.] 



[Genus — Motacilla.] 



[MoTACiLLA ALBA — White Wagtail] 



A rare straggler to the South of England and Ireland. 



MOTACILLA LUGUBRIS— Pied Wagtail. 



What art thou made of ? air, or light, or dew ? 

 I have no time to tell you, if I knew. 

 My tail — ask that — perhaps may solve the matter, 

 I've missed three flies already by this chatter. 



Montgomery— Birds. 



This bird is extremely common throughout the county, in the 

 vicinity of ponds, streams, grassy lawns, or moist meadows. Some 

 few of them remain for the winter. The Cuckoo is very fond of 

 choosing the Wagtail's nest to deposit her own eggs in. 



The Pied Wagtails, like the Swallows, are amongst the first 

 birds to give notice of the presence of a Hawk. They are con- 

 sidered a delicacy on the Continent, and the bird-catchers there, 

 avail themselves of the sympathy of the birds, in trying to help each 

 other when in distress. They tie a live bird by the leg to the net, 

 when its cries to escape, bring others round it, and they are thus 

 easily caught. 



